Sochi – CSKA

CSKA will win in a high-scoring match

On Monday, September 22, Sochi and CSKA will wrap up the ninth round of the Russian Championship. The Southerners are currently the worst club in the RPL. The outsider has only one point. CSKA is contending for the title, despite losing to Rostov. Sochi has entered a new period under the leadership of Igor Osinkin. The team has parted ways with former coach Robert Moreno. There aren’t even improvements – no goals yet. Sochi lost two matches with an aggregate score of 0:6. Moreover they have set an anti-record for Russian championships – this is the worst start in the league's history. Sochi currently has a goal difference of “-17”. Their deficit from the fifteenth place has already reached five points. At the same time, the club has a very strong squad – in terms of value, it is among the ten most expensive in the league. In the match against Krylia Sovetov, Sochi looked decent in the first half, but the attack remains a problem – the forwards are struggling. Saul Guarirapa has unexpectedly underperformed. The player was one of the best in CSKA – yet he hasn’t become a key player in the ranks of the outsider. Osinkin has not radically changed the formation – he continues to play with three central defenders. CSKA suffered a defeat to Rostov in the last round, and in the middle of the week, they couldn't beat Baltika despite a double in the match. There is no global crisis for the army men. Against Rostov, things went wrong – there was a silly mistake by Igor Akinfeev and a quick red card for Milan Gajic. The Serb will, of course, miss the match against Sochi. The army men’s transfer campaign raises many questions. The club signed enigmatic foreign players in the closing days of the window – no one is ready to start from the first minutes. In other respects, CSKA has a positive trend this season. Looking at the quality of play and the number of goal-scoring opportunities created, the army men rightfully rank among the leaders. Local failures are not a reason to doubt Fabio Celestini's ideas. Historically, CSKA does not play well in Sochi. In 2023, they lost 0:2, and in 2024, they managed a draw – 2:2. There are currently several reasons to expect open football. CSKA does play attacking football, which is implied by Celestini's style. Igor Osinkin is also a constructive coach rather than a destroyer. Sochi is in a desperate situation; they will be more cautious, but will certainly not park the bus. Bookmakers are somewhat surprising with their total predictions – they expect rather cautious football. The odds for three goals or more are high. It seems this should be taken advantage of. CSKA is motivated for a big win after two setbacks, while Sochi could punish the army men on counterattacks. Nevertheless, the quality of players on the host side allows for hopes of goals due to individual skill.